Welcome to NASIOC - The world's largest online community for Subaru enthusiasts!

Welcome to the NASIOC.com Subaru forum.

You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community, free of charge, you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is free, fast and simple, so please join our community today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

So I took my car to Big O to get the non-working AC checked out- they claim they have Subaru factory trained technicians, dontcha know. They had it back to me quickly, and the AC works great, but they filled it with R12, nor R134a. Is that going to cause problems like killing my condensor, or did it just make it pricier?

Are you sure they actually put R12 in it? Most places can't even get R12 any more as it's scarce and very expensive.
Also the fittings are different so you can't just hook up an R12 container to an R134 system, and they require different oil.
Whoever you spoke to probably doesn't know what they're talking about.

thought R12 is considered illegal nowadays? something to do with pollution though IIRC i read somewhere that the pollution crap got nullified...nevertheless shops don't use R12 anymore unless for cars before 1996 IIRC, all modern cars are R134

Their is no way they filled it with R12. I work at UPS as a diesel truck mechanic. In fact, we retrofitted some trucks to use R134a years ago because of R12 hasn't been made since 1994 and is hard to get. What is left is ubber expensive.

No way they could put r12 in that... they stop using r12 around 1993.. so anything after that is all r134. the fittings on the ac lines are different from r12 and r134.. Ask them if they have a license to use the r12 because in any state they are required to have a license to sell it and install it..

Here's another curveball- we're the only county in CA that doesn't require smog checks- I wonder if we're so backward-ass we can still use R12? The smog thing means a lot of people drive trucks with no smog- ah the smell and sound downtown!

Here's another curveball- we're the only county in CA that doesn't require smog checks- I wonder if we're so backward-ass we can still use R12? The smog thing means a lot of people drive trucks with no smog- ah the smell and sound downtown!

So know one knows if that could damage my AC system if they did?

Most of the U.S. population lives where no smog checks are performed btw. The fittings are different for R12 vs 134A. You gotta be kidding you believe they put in a pound of R12 that cost $85.00. You say it's working, thats a good thing. The operating pressure of 134A is higher then R12.

If you want to negotiate to get some money back go in and tell them they put R12 in your system which was designed for R134 and the oil is not compatable between the two. You want them to remove it and fill it with the correct refrigerant (costly to do nowadays with the required recovery systems). If they do it turn them in to the EPA for venting it to the atmosphere.

If you want to negotiate to get some money back go in and tell them they put R12 in your system which was designed for R134 and the oil is not compatable between the two. You want them to remove it and fill it with the correct refrigerant (costly to do nowadays with the required recovery systems). If they do it turn them in to the EPA for venting it to the atmosphere.

If you turn someone in for venting coolant to atmosphere to the EPA there is a $10,000.00 reward.

where do you put the hose for r134? i tried putting it on fitting or whatever on the right of the intake manifold but it doesn't fit. help

you have aLOW side fitting and the passenger rear of the engine bay, and the high side fitting in front of the intake manifold, drivers side. They are 2 different sizes so, your hose will only fit on one side only.

Just an FYi, when servicing A/C on your own, be careful not to overfill the system, as little as .2 ounces over full can blow your compressor.

I would stay far away from anyone who is trying to use r12 in a r134a system. Big O is a chain store that is associated with Tire Kingdom if I recall and they do not have factory trained techs unless they hired a previous subie technician. If he wanted to use r12, I would doubt he was factory trained.

They prob. did not put R12 in, but if they did it won't hurt anything. the PAG oil that is used in the subaru system is compatible with R12, R134a is not good in a R12 system unless the mineral oil used in R12 systems is flushed out and replaced with PAG oil.